Book Review: Group 4 by John Davenport and Reinhard Klein
I’ll admit that this book sat on the shelf for a decade, dipped in and out of when I was looking for information, but had never before been read cover-to-cover. What a mistake that was.
Davenport and Klein’s imposing volume – one of several they’ve produced covering different eras of rallying – runs to more than 250 pages and weighs about half a ton. I don’t think I’ve ever devoured such a large book, so quickly.
The authors are arguably as well placed as anyone to cover the period of Group 4 rally regulations from 1973-82, encompassing, as the subtitle puts it, Stratos to Quattro. Davenport has had a career perhaps unmatched in its breadth as a successful co-driver, team manager, writer and sports administrator. Klein is a legend of rally photography who established the McKlein agency and archive with Colin McMaster in 1997. It’s from the McKlein archive that the amazing photos in this beautifully printed book are drawn.
As benefits a reference work, it is helpfully divided into six sections covering a history of the Group 4 regulations, champion drivers, annual World Rally season reports, Group 4 cars, colourful stories from the era, and statistics.
But ‘reference work’ does something of a disservice to the engaging, entertaining and witty text. Key personalities are fully fleshed out by authors who knew their subjects well. Major events are described with insight that only writers who were at the heart of it could offer. At the same time, there’s sufficient perspective and detachment in the writing to leave you sure that what you’ve read not only happened but happened for the reasons stated.
It's hard to pin down a favourite story from so many great yarns, but I enjoyed reading how officials were unable to prove that Hannu Mikkola’s Ford Escort RS1600 had undergone an illegal double gearbox-change on the 1974 1000 Lakes Rally. Despite suffering from a transmission failure, the car was thus able to win the rally while ostensibly retaining the unit that had been marked in pre-event scrutineering.
How can we be sure of what happened? Because Davenport was Mikkola’s co-driver.
Group 4
by John Davenport and Reinhard Klein
McKlein, first edition 2011. ISBN 978 3 927458 54 3
Find it on eBay
Davenport and Klein’s imposing volume – one of several they’ve produced covering different eras of rallying – runs to more than 250 pages and weighs about half a ton. I don’t think I’ve ever devoured such a large book, so quickly.
The authors are arguably as well placed as anyone to cover the period of Group 4 rally regulations from 1973-82, encompassing, as the subtitle puts it, Stratos to Quattro. Davenport has had a career perhaps unmatched in its breadth as a successful co-driver, team manager, writer and sports administrator. Klein is a legend of rally photography who established the McKlein agency and archive with Colin McMaster in 1997. It’s from the McKlein archive that the amazing photos in this beautifully printed book are drawn.
As benefits a reference work, it is helpfully divided into six sections covering a history of the Group 4 regulations, champion drivers, annual World Rally season reports, Group 4 cars, colourful stories from the era, and statistics.
But ‘reference work’ does something of a disservice to the engaging, entertaining and witty text. Key personalities are fully fleshed out by authors who knew their subjects well. Major events are described with insight that only writers who were at the heart of it could offer. At the same time, there’s sufficient perspective and detachment in the writing to leave you sure that what you’ve read not only happened but happened for the reasons stated.
It's hard to pin down a favourite story from so many great yarns, but I enjoyed reading how officials were unable to prove that Hannu Mikkola’s Ford Escort RS1600 had undergone an illegal double gearbox-change on the 1974 1000 Lakes Rally. Despite suffering from a transmission failure, the car was thus able to win the rally while ostensibly retaining the unit that had been marked in pre-event scrutineering.
How can we be sure of what happened? Because Davenport was Mikkola’s co-driver.
Group 4
by John Davenport and Reinhard Klein
McKlein, first edition 2011. ISBN 978 3 927458 54 3
Find it on eBay